Method of making latches for rail switches and blanks for the same



March 14, 1933. 'B R BARBER 1,901,718

METHOD OF MAKING LATCHES FOR RAIL SWITCHES AND BLANKS FOR THE SAME Filed April 1, 1932 Z295, -:Ml

fr n A Patented Mar. 14, 1933 UNITED STATES BENJAMIN n. BARBER, 0F JAcKsoNvILIai, FLORIDA Y METHOD or MAKING LATCHES ron RAIL SWITCHES AND BLANKs non Tnn j Application lednprl 1,

AThis, invention is directed to an improvement in latches or rail switches, particularly of the type described in my copending application flled September 17, 1931, Serial #563,425. p i f The primary obj ect oit' the present invention is the provision of sheet metal sections, With the parts particularly rconstructed for interrelation to form the stand of the latch, with a particular view of closing the interior thereof against the admission of snow and the like, which under adverse atmospheric conditions will freeze inthe interior of the stand and prevent proper operation of the latch. l

' Ordinarily, stands of thisl type are constructed of cast metal which, to provide for the assemblage of the various parts, necessarily present openings which, in the use oi'E the latch'in climates open to snow'and-the like at certain periods of the year, suiier the disadvantage of being rendered inoperative or diiicult to actuate under extreme weather' conditions. With the stand constructed according to the present invention, the interior is substantially closed against the admission of the elements and thus to a material extent the latch is prevented from being rendered inoperative under such conditions. l

A particular and important object of the invention is the provision of two similar blanks initially formed and divided so as to permit the ready making up of the stand and consequent sealing of the interior of the same 'against the elements to a substantiall extent.

The invention is illustrated the accompanying drawing, wherein:- y I Figure 1 is a view of the blank.

Figur-e2 is a perspective view of the switch stand made up from the blank.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of the latch. I

The blank is made up of sheet' meta'of appropriate gauge and formed to provide a body portion 1 having an upper section 2 constituting one-'half of the topof thestand, the upper section being bendable 'along Vthe lines`3- and l and having a terminal section 5 for cooperating with the similar section oi the otherA bl-ank, as will later appear. The

body is formed at the lower end with an eX- 1932. serial4 No; V662,541.

tension 6 bendable along'the line'7 to provide a foot. The forwardedge ofthe body irnmediately above the foot 6 extended at 8 'and above the extension and throughoutthe remaining length'of the similar edge of the body 55 there is provided an eXtensionQ slightly spaced from the `extension 8 andbendable along'theylines 10 a'nd 110topresent an outstanding lsection .'12 to cooperate with the similar section ofthe otherblank."

The vedge of the body of the wall opposite the section Q9 is forme'dwith a sectionlex'- tended beyond the edge'ofy the 'body and di'.- vided therefrom atv the upper edge, as at'514c,

andbendable along theline 15, the-body be- "6:5

ing extendedV atv 16- below and beyond the extension 13 and divided from theflatterf'on the line 17. The foot extension Got theb'ody isextended beyond the end of the :projection 16, as at 18, and this portion ofthe blank is eX- 79 v tended upwardly throughthe'fullfheight'of f the blank, providing a portion 19, the free outer'edge of which is upwardly and inward- Vly inclined, this extension 19 being bendable y along the line 2O at'the end of the section 16 175 and also bendable along a'v parallel li`1'1`e21 forwardly of the .line'ot bend 20 and providing anarrow strip 22 approximately half the-width of the frame. i

The line of bend 2O throughout the eX- 80 treme upper portion of the section 1-9for1ns a linevof division by cutting out a section from the upper edge of the extension19, the line of cut being in the line of fold 21 onthe one side and on a line 23 inclined Ato the line 85 of fold 21 onthe other side, thus forming a substantially V-shaped cut outportion. A section 24 of rectangular form is cut out from the foot 6 underlying the strip 22.

In forming the blank intothe frame, two 'blanks are similarly formed or shaped in the following manner: The upper portion of the body 1 is folded downward at right angles on the line of fold 3 and then upward at right angles on the line offold Z1, presenting upstanding sections 5 which are substantiallyvin the mid-line of the longitudinal plane of the body. The rear section 9 ofgeach blank is then bent inwardly at right angles on the line of fold 10 and thenoutwardly at right 100 i angles on the'line of fold 11, presenting sec- Y tions 12 in Substantially the mid-lineof the longitudinal plane of the body and extendspacedrelation-to the sections 13 and' arrang` ing rearwardly therefrom. The sections 13, which at the lower end are divided from the Vbody extension 16, are then bent inwardly,

these sections approximating one-half the width ofthe body. I The Asection 19 is then turned inwardly on the line of fold 2O and,

then outwardly onthe'line of foldz21, thus presentingthe sections-22 at right angles to the' llongitudinal planel of the bodyfand in ing the sections 191 for thatportionfbeyond theline yof fold 21aboutmidway ofthe longitudinal planeof the body. f, TheI foot piece-6 i isjlikewiseiturned gnitatright angles tothe body- In orde-r tOlperniit-"this movement of" the -foot piecev 18, it is v,divided from the'foot piece 6 along the line forming the rforward line of cut vof the section24, and the foot piece 6 l to a tie or other .-fsupport, asimilar cut out Y portion 27 beingfor1ned-'in 'the foot piece 6 aldistance'approximating twice the distance forlike purpose.

'Iff the l blanks i between-the lineslof foldl 3 and 4 of the secv ytion 2. Between the walls `of the body and vspaced from lthe upper ,wall defined by the blank folds as'de"scril:)edare arranged angle i Vpiecesf28, the'vertical sections of which beary againstthebody and the horizontal ledges 429 of'which provide asupport forthe latch proper. These angle iron sections are `bolted in place by, through rivetsl 30, an`d the proxi-y mate edgesof the ledges 29` are spaced apart to-provideforthe operation of thelatch The latch comprises a metallic body 31 havinga latch nose 32the upper surface of which is inclined downwardly and forwardly yand y the 'rear of the bodyforrned' with a longitudinalbore 33 eXtending Vapprorzirnately half the length of the body', and the-bottonir wall is formed with a recess 34. The latch slides -on.- the jledgesg29 ofthe respectivefangle bars and immediately above the upper edges vof the Sections 13 VVhen the blanks `areassembled,the contacting vportions 5 and/12 are boltedtogether Yat 35 and 36 and the; sections 19 Vare bolted together at 37, thus securing the frame parts inp'rcooperating relation. An angle leverf38. isipivotally supported at 39 onl aypivotbar eXtending'th-rough theop'posed bodies 1, thisl l lever projecting rearwardly between thefex-V Vtensions 48 of l the blanks and 'underlying the V.edges of thesections 12 which form a limit for thevupward movement of the lever, il, 'i

Secured to each side ofthe extended portion 'of the lever are plates 40,y the forward sections 43, with the vertical flanges in line with the platesections 42. vTwo suchvplates 40 `are secured to the extended portion of the lever :on oppositesidesthereof byrivetjs 44, in

which Vposition the horizontal ledges of the angle'portion 43 of the plates form abroad treadfo'r' Athe lever, vwhile vthe plate sections portions vof which present platesecti'ons 42 e' andthe rear portions offwhich present angle 42 snugly and slidably embrace theconnected i sections 12 ofthe blank. The blank sections 19 whenformed for v`association in theframe provide .an uprightabutment, between which andthe proximateedges of' the-body the switchflevertofbe locked: is'to be positioned.

y 'Toinsure the :entrancelofthe switch lever soV into the vchannel between, .they abutment (and the body proper, the upper edges o-fithe1.fS ec-` tions 22 of eachy blank, vwhen the Vblanks .are formed in frame-designingrelation, a'rebent` outwardlyv into-line with the inclined edge,

, v form' sections9 at one end and the inner-end thus yformed are: arranged v in'opposition, the body 1will be spaced apart of the bore 33 vofjthe latch bolt,the s pring rfunctioningvto serve v to maintain. the latch projected-,- in which, as indicated in Figure 3, it forrnsa limit for thefupwardmevement -of the switch lever l:when in the channel between the abutment and the body-21.5 yThe Vplate sections Y42and the 1neeting'sections12 Y l 1of the blanks are preferably formed with openings 47 adapted to register when the latch tionof thedevice to releasethe switch lever.

As'described,the stand is made up eftwo blanks integrally, formedfanl,A shaped for bending to provide the necessary parts ofthe stand.4` Of course, the meeting edges ofthe inturned portions forming -the: transverse wallsmay, if desired, be welded o rl otherwise secured together, though it is quite apparent that through the arrangementdescribed, the parts whenassociatedand secured as `indicated .substantially 'close the frame against the admission of the elements.- This is the essenv tial purpose of thevinvention, forwitwhethe frame thus protected, the,lockingflatchislittle liable to. be rendered inoperative incident to. the freezingkof snow or rain onthe, interior of thebody or the collection of snow therein.

L`-l`?5 The"blanks provide ya 'simplel convenient u l Vmeans o f f assembling the-body and'forrn ka i [rigid wear-resisting strueturewhichpermits e access to the interiork conveniently by sepa-V Vrating the means for connecting *the lt ilanks.BO`

The operation of the switch stand, for both locking and releasing the switch lever, is quite apparent from the disclosure, as the mere movement of the switch lever into the stand serves to force the latch rearwardly due to the inclined upper 'face of the nose of the latch, and when the switch lever rides beneath the latch, the spring operates to automatically move the latch to lever-locking position. When it is desired to release the switch lever, depression on the free end of the latch lever withdraws the latch to permit free upward movement of the switch lever.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

l. A blank for the fabrication of a latch stand, comprising a metallic section foldable to form one-half of the body portion of the stand and an outstanding securing lip, the section being divided vertically from the upper edge but not extending to the lower edge, said divided portions being folded relative to each other to form right-angled sece tions to provide an abutment.

2. A blank for the fabrication of a latch stand, comprising a metallic section having a cut-out portion near one edge, a foldable portion on one margin of the cut-out portion a similar foldable portion at the opposite edge of the section, said foldable portions deining a body portion of the stand, the opposite part of the cut-out port-ion being divided vertically and folded relatively into right angled portions to provide an abutment.

3. A process of forming a latch stand from two duplicate blanks, each blank being foldable on predetermined lines to form a hollow body with upper, front, and rear walls, the blanks being cut out in advance of the folded portions defining the front walls, with the portion in advance of the cut-out divided vertically to provide separate portions united at the lower end, the separate portions being relatively folded on rightangled planes to provide an abutment with a broad face spaced from the front wall of the body.

4. A process of forming a latch stand from two duplicate blanks, each blank being cut out adjacent one edge, the edges of' the main portion of the blank being folded to provide the end walls of a hollow body portion, the advance part of the cut-out portion being divided vertically and the separate parts folded, one in the plane of the body and the other at right angles thereto.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

BENJAMIN R. BARBER. 

